NIO starts delivering ES8 electric SUVs with NOMI AI

Remember the NIO EP9 which beat the Huracan Performante’s Nurburgring time? Well, the Chinese startup is now happy to announce that they’ve started to deliver the ES8 all-electric SUVs to its customers.

One of the USPs of the ES8 is that the SUV has something called NOMI artificial intelligence technology, claimed to be the world’s first in-car AI system for production vehicles. The NOMI can see her owner’s arrival and quickly setup the seats and steering wheel position. She can also do things like take a selfie via roof mounted camera or play the desired music, when asked to do so. Watch the attached video.

Another USP is that the ES8 features swappable battery technology, where the SUV can go into a swapping station to get its entire battery pack swapped within 3 minutes. Click here to watch the video.

The ES8’s 3,010 mm wheelbase is claimed to be the longest in its class. It has 3 rows, and 7 seats that are configurable. Besides NOMI, the Nappa leather interior features PM 2.5 air purifier, wireless charging for mobile devices and a premium sound system.

The SUV also features NIO Pilot Advanced Autonomous Driving Assistance System that includes Auto Emergency Braking, Lane Departure Warning, Traffic Jam Assist, 12 point ultrasound parking assistance, Blind Spot Detection, traffic sign and pedestrian detection as well. According to the company, the ES8 is the first car to feature Mobileye’s EyeQ4 SoC.

Power
Powering the ES8 are two electric motors front and rear, delivering 480 kW (652 hp) of power and 840 Nm of torque to all four wheels. The SUV can accelerate from 0-100 km/h in 4.4 seconds.

The 70 kWh liquid-cooled battery pack comprises of VDA square cell batteries. According to the company, these cells feature the highest energy density of their kind and is good for up to 2,000 charging cycles. The ES8 achieves over 500 km of range when constantly run at 60 km/h, however, as per NEDC, it gets a range of 355 km.

As for the charging times, the company claims that the ES8 can run 100 km after charging for just 10 minutes via the company’s power service product – Power Mobile.

The car features active air suspension as standard. Surprisingly, the ES8’s drag coefficient is 0.29 Cd.

The NIO ES8 has a base price of RMB 448,000 before subsidies, with 10,000 Founder’s Editions available for RMB 548,000. A battery rental plan is also available, which provides a RMB 100,000 discount over the purchase price of ES8.

The battery rental subscription is RMB 1,280 per month. ES8 owners can also enjoy quality assurance, roadside assistance, car connectivity, and nationwide charging services. The ES8 is customized and will be made to order, the company said. Currently available only to Chinese customers, and can be ordered via the NIO App.